Some Account of Her Last Sickness

She was at public ordinances both morning and evening on the Lord’s Day, August 29: she had been with her relations, who were ill the day before, and that day also. Though the distemper had seized her a day before, yet she kept it to herself, as loath to be taken oft’ by it from her work and duty. But that night it appeared that she was under the violent assault of a high fever; the alarm of which she received with her usual evenness and composure of spirit; and though she seemed from her first arrest to have received the sentence of death within herself, yet she was not at all disturbed at it, but spake of her circumstances with much cheerfulness. She was exceedingly afflicted with pain in her head, which quite deprived her of rest, and sleep departed from her eyes.

On Monday she sat up most of the day, spoke of her spiritual state with great humility and self-diffidence, repenting of sin, yet rejoicing in Christ Jesus: she said she was afraid of saying too much of her hope and comfort, because the heart is deceitful.

All that week she continued worse (notwithstanding all means used) but kept in a very patient, submissive, heavenly frame. When asked how she did, she answered. “Better than I deserve.” Often said, “I know whom I have trusted.” She desired to have the beginning of Isa. xliii. read and opened to her, — that Scripture which Mr. Bilney the martyr supported himself with, — ‘When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee.’ She desired pardon for her omissions in the duty of her relations. The following sentences she uttered:

“I am not weary of living, but I am weary of sinning; I would live as Christ lives, and where Christ lives, and that I am sure will be heaven.”

“There are many passages in the Psalms not so proper for us but at such a time as this; as that, ‘My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.’”

“Let none think the worse of religion nor of our family-worship, for the afflictions that are in our families, nor have a hard thought of God; for however it be, yet God is good.”

When her pain and extremity were great, she said, “I know the great God can do me no wrong. Who would desire to go so many steps back which must some time or other be gone over again, when now I have but one stile more and I shall be at home?”

“I have hope in my death, for Christ hath said, * Because I live, ye shall live also.’”

“I have distrusted God and am ashamed of it, for God is truth.”

“Now for a promise.”

“I hope this is no surprise.”

“You are miserable comforters, but Jesus Christ is my abiding portion.”

“I shall now be gathered to my people, and I have loved those that are godly, both poor and rich.”

“Blessed be God for the Scriptures now.”

Towards Saturday night she grew delirious; yet even then it was evident her heart was upon nothing so much as God, and the things of her soul; speaking often with a smiling, cheerful countenance of psalms of praise, and hymns of joy.

While she was under this disturbance she often recollected herself with this word, — “Here is nothing but tohu and hohu, (referring to Genesis i. 2.) confusion and emptiness but it wall not be so long.”

After eight days conflict with her distemper, on Monday, September 6, 1697, between the hours of seven and eight in the morning, she fell asleep in the Lord.

She was buried, September 8, in St. Bridget’s church, attended to the grave by abundance of true mourners, with whom her memory is, and will be very precious.

Mr. Samuel Lawrence preached her funeral sermon that evening at her brother’s meeting-place, on Job vii. IG.” I would not

live always.”